KL ranked No. 2 in shopping

Shopping paradise: The index has taken note of the Government’s mammoth investments in developing KLCC and Bukit Bintang as a ‘premier shopping precinct’.

PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur is the second best shopping city in Asia Pacific, according to the latest Globe Shopper Index, cementing its position as a shopping paradise. Twenty-five cities in the region were assessed under five categories shops; culture and climate; hotels and transport; affordability; and convenience.

Kuala Lumpur achieved the second highest overall score of 65 out of 100. Only Hong Kong scored higher 68.5 edging other cities for its safety, dependable city transport and variety of shops and brands. Shanghai was third with a 63.1 score with Beijing placed fourth at 60.7. Singapore (60.2) and Bangkok (57.1) were ranked fifth and seventh respectively. The other big cities ranked included Sydney (58.4), Tokyo (56.4) and Seoul (54.8).

“Kuala Lumpur's specific strength is its ability to combine low prices with a good range of products in a large number of stores, including three of the world's 10 biggest shopping malls,” the index report stated.

The report predicted that Kuala Lumpur had the potential to perform better in future indexes due to the Government's efforts to promote retail tourism. It also took note of the Government's mammoth investments in developing KLCC and Bukit Bintang as a “premier shopping precinct in Malaysia”.

Bukit Bintang-KLCC Tourism Association chairman Joyce Yap welcomed the report, saying the Government's decision to make shopping a focus in the Economic Transformation Plan was a key factor.

The Globe Shopper Index was created by the Economist Intelligence Unit, which is part of the Economist Group and founded as an in-house research unit for The Economist newspaper and commissioned by Switzerland-based shopping tourism company Global Blue.

-thestar online.